Survey Finds 68% of Healthcare Respondents Not Familiar with Indoor Location Technologies

image
26 Jul 2017

In a recent B2B technology survey of 455 U.S.-based companies across nine verticals, ABI Research finds that only 32% of respondents are familiar with indoor location technologies and their cost saving benefits. The findings show a disconnect between the healthcare industry’s evident need for an asset tracking solution and their willingness to implement one. Only 2% of healthcare respondents had plans to deploy an indoor location solution within the next twelve months.

“The healthcare industry could see significant returns on investment by tracking assets such as infusion pumps across facilities, especially as medical devices become increasingly advanced and more expensive” says Samuel McLaughlin, Research Analyst at ABI Research. “There is reluctance within healthcare to deploy asset tracking solutions, despite the potential to save both money and lives. Installation expenses can be high if the solution is not compatible with the hospital’s already-existing network infrastructure and regulations. Indoor location vendors must demonstrate they can offer standards-based systems which can support interoperability features, resulting in easier installation and reduced upfront costs.”

Multiple industry sources estimate that between 10% and 20% of hospital inventory is stolen or lost each year.  This could be partly attributed to healthcare personnel favoring certain equipment and keeping it in areas where only they can access it, rather than where it should be stored. Typical assets that might be tracked in a hospital include ventilators, dialysis machines, heart rate monitors, wheelchairs, and IV pumps. One hospital alone has estimated the yearly cost of replacing IV pumps at US$70k.

Adoption of new and emerging technologies has been traditionally slower in healthcare compared to other verticals, often due to funding issues and cost-saving measures at a government or organizational level. “Recent breaches in security in healthcare systems due to antiquated systems across the world should serve as a wake-up call in hospital organizations to embrace emerging technologies sooner rather than later,” concludes McLaughlin.

These findings are from ABI Research’s Industry Survey: Transformative Technology Adoption and Attitudes report. This report is part of the company’s Location Technologies research service, which includes research, data, and analyst insights.

About ABI Research

ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology solution providers and end-market companies. We serve as the bridge that seamlessly connects these two segments by providing exclusive research and expert guidance to drive successful technology implementations and deliver strategies proven to attract and retain customers.

ABI Research 是一家全球性的技术情报公司,拥有得天独厚的优势,充当终端市场公司和技术解决方案提供商之间的桥梁,通过提供独家研究和专业性指导,推动成功的技术实施和提供经证明可吸引和留住客户的战略,无缝连接这两大主体。

For more information about ABI Research’s services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com.

Contact ABI Research

Media Contacts

Americas: +1.516.624.2542
Europe: +44.(0).203.326.0142
Asia: +65 6950.5670

Related Service